Blood and Water
by TARRANT HiTOPP
Summary: Blood may be thicker than water, but water causes much less harm when spilled. better summary inside. Rated T for possible language and a few other reasons :
1. Chapter 1

*** Alice ***

My mother looked at me and scoffed.

"Alice! You look truly horrid in that dress! Is that a top hat? How unladylike and vulgar! And what are you holding? Is that a giant rat?"

"As a matter of fact, it's a rabbit mother. I purchased her from a man in china who was selling them for food. I saved her life and her name is Clementine! Isn't she adorable?" I asked, snuggling close to the little brown and white rabbit. It looked like a mixture of Nevins and the march hare, with Nevins's body, and part of his color, while the rest of the fur was colored like hare's. I had the little thing dressed in dolls clothes so it was dressed like an Underlandian rabbit would be, it was also tucked inside my jacket to keep it from catching cold in the fall weather.

"Well, if you're going to keep it, it stays in your room. Hurry inside that dress shows your ankles Alice! Take it off at once! To your room and we shall celebrate your return when your properly dressed." What a welcome after being gone two years trading on a ship. I knew that as soon as I arrived home I would be pestered by my mother about her not being like my older sister, but I didn't think it would begin as soon as I left the carriage. I scurried up the stairs to my old room, closing the doors behind me she took in the wonderful sight of my room that I hadn't seen in what seemed like forever. Everything had been left exactly the way I had left it, although there was now a thin layer of dust. I dropped Clementine gently to the floor so that she could grow accustomed to her new home.

"This is where I live Clem. This is my room. It's your room now too so go ahead and explore." I changed into a different dress that was comfortable, but elegant. Light blue of course, and then dusted off the things that needed dusting. I then pranced back to the door and called to my friend, who came scurrying out from under the dresser and to my side.

The little creature had taken a strong liking to me, and would follow me around like a faithful dog who was smitten to her owner. I walked calmly down the hall and into the parlor, where my mother was waiting, the little rabbit bounding along next to me. As I entered, my mother turned along with my sister, Lowell, and a third character, whom I had never met.

"Alice! I thought I told you that was to stay in your room!" Mother scolded as Clementine snuck past me and off to the corner of the room to inspect a tall bookshelf. I just laughed.

"Don't worry Mother, she won't do any harm." The stranger stood and Mother put on her kind face again.

"Alice, this is Lord David Patterson, he's a very kind man." The man made me think of a proud peacock, He had a short, innocent, snobby build. His skin was light-colored. He had delicate ears and long-fingered hands. His boring, straight, brown hair was medium-length and was worn in a utilitarian style. He had a short mustache. His wardrobe was completely unconventional, with a lot of gray. My mother really expected me to act friendly toward this man?

"Hello sir." I moaned, why was mother always trying to get me together with men that had so little muchness?

"Hello Miss Kingsley, so delightful to finally meet you. You're mother has told me all about you, and your success at becoming a quite wealthy young woman. You've made quite a name for yourself have you not?"

"I suppose." I groaned. Looking back to my rabbit who was eagerly sniffing a copy of 'Mother Goose's nursery rhymes', which was pulled out slightly from the others. I walked over to the shelf and pulled it out, it looked different from when I last saw it.

"Alice?" Mother was asking, but I ignored her.

"Curiouser and curiouser." I whispered

"ALICE!" Mother yelled.

"Yes?

" I asked, startled out of my wonderings.

" David asked you a question." I started to ignore her again and I called Clementine softly.

"If you don't mind mother, I'm tired, and I wish to go to bed." Without waiting for a response, I turned and walked out of the room.

*** Tarrant ***

Playing that silly little waiting game again are we Alice? Of corse, you just love to keep me guessing and waiting don't you? Always showing up late, if at all. Yes it was a waste of Time, I killed him often and he in return, kept me alive and unchanging.

I was waiting like always on a mild afternoon just like it always was. I sat by myself. I wasn't going to move today. It hurt too much. I was alone too, and that made it even worse.

I knew that I wouldn't be able to get her out of my head, so I would try putting her in my head. Alice. alice. ALICE. AlIcE. aLiCe. aLICE. AlICE. ALiCE. ALIcE. ALICe. ecila. Alice. ALice. AlIce. AliCe. AlicE. OH THIS WASN'T WORKING! I screamed in frustration and tossed a scone into the bushes. I stood angrily and trudged away. I was going to consult Mirana about what I was going to do with myself. As I broke out of the clearing, I became cold. Something didn't feel right. To my left, the bushes rustled. I spun around narrowed my eyes.

"Very funny Chesh." I said loudly.

" It's not meant to be funny." A voice said from behind me. I turned quickly, that was defiantly not Chesh!

"St-St-STANE?" I whimpered, we were in an abandoned part of the forest, and I was unarmed, unlike him who had a sword with a saw-edged blade of a bronze color, with bones and hearts engraved on it. Its grip was also formed like a bone. Its pommel, shaped like a skull with rubies for eyes and an emerald in its mouth. Where did Stayne ever get ahold of such a high-class sword? He probibly had it hidden somewhere in the Red castle. I couldn't help but notice the sword was pointed strait at me.

" No. It's the Easter Bunny. Of corse it's Stayne!" I backed away. "Ah! Don't even try to run. I have a horse and you don't. I'll catch you in no time." It was worth a try, besides I didn't see any horse. I burst out into the bushes and ran at full speed, trying to escape. How had he escaped from the outlands? Where was the Bluddy Big Hid? What did he want with me?

"Run Run as fast as you can, you still can't escape the blood thirsty man!" I heard his voice laugh he was close. Too close. Soon, the shrubbery in front of me broke and a man on a black horse jumped out. I screamed as I tried to stop, but I fell onto my back instead.

"What did I tell you?" he laughed, standing above me. I tried to crawl away, but before I could even move, he had the blade of his sword pressed to my throat. "Wanna' try that again? Or are you going to listen to me this time?" I glared.

"I'm never gonna' listen to you. You aint' the king!"

"Not yet at least." He pulled a piece of rope out of his pocket and bound my wrists behind my back. I was then forced up onto the horse, and he swung up and seated himself behind me It was a very awkward situation, especially sense he kept my neck in a tight headlock from behind. I struggled and fought, but I was immobilized, then I saw where we were going and it worried me further. Salas and grum! An abandoned castle sat there, but I got the feeling it wasn't abandoned any longer.

"Behold Hatter," Stayne spat into my ear. "My castle. You get to have the honor of being the first prisoner into the dungeon. Don't worry though, there'll be many more. I'll have lots of castles once my plan is fulfilled. Until then though, this will do quite nicely."

I tried again to squirm out of his grasp, but he held tight, and I couldn't escape him. We quickly got closer and closer until we crossed the drawbridge. As we entered the court yard, He tossed me to the grown and I hit the stone floor hard. I let out a whimper of pain as he jumped down and grabbed the back of my neck with one hand, and my wrists, that were still tied behind me, with the other.

"Move along." He told me as we passed the execution block, a few rotted bodies littered the ground, had they even cleaned up after I left?

"You couldn't have come all the way to Witzend just for me could you?" I asked curiously.

"But of corse. You see, I have made a to-do list:

1: Capture you

2: lure Underland's champion here with you as bait.

3: Capture Alice

4: Take control of the Mirana and become sovereign of Underland.

5: Build a massive army

6: Take over all the worlds

7: Marry either Alice or Mirana, although now that I think about it, Why not Both!

8: Keep you as my own personal toy until I get bored of you. I'll just kill you then.

9: Have many children with Alice

10: Kill anyone who gets in my way.

There, thats it." By the time he finished telling me his plan, we were in the tower dungeon and he tossed me the same cell I had been in last time.

"Capture Hatter...Check." He laughed as he turned and strolled away laughing. I pounded my fists on the bars until they throbbed. That was the most sick and twisted list of goals I'd ever heard. He was even gonna force my Alice into Having children with him! That was illegal wasn't it? It should be at least. I turned and sat on the ground and hid my face in my hands.

"Poor me. Alice, I shure wish you are having a better time than I am." I was Alice bait I realized. I had to find a way to warn her not to come after me. "You could have stayed." I whispered into the darkness that surrounded me.

2: Lure Underland's champion here with me as bait. Of course he had to use me, the one thing she's proven to come after. Alice is a little fly, Stayne a hairy spider.

'Will you walk into my parlor?' said the spider to the fly,

' 'Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy,

The way into my parlor is up a winding stair,

And I've got many curious things to show when you are there.'

'Oh, no, no,' said the little fly, 'to ask me is in vain,

For whoever goes up your winding stair can ne'er come down again.'


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

*** Alice ***

I was strolling along through the gardens with Clementine, my only friend in the world, well this world at least. I had walked strait into a bush once or twice because my face was buried in the book I was reading. I had finished all the children rhymes in the first section and was now reading the other poems my mother and father had added in. I was reading Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? by William Shakespeare;

** Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?**  
**Thou art more lovely and more temperate.**  
**Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,**  
**And summer's lease hath all too short a date.**  
**Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,**  
**And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;**  
**And every fair from fair sometime declines,**  
**By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;**  
**But thy eternal summer shall not fade**  
**Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;**  
**Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,**  
**When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:**  
** So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,**  
** So long lives this, and this gives life to thee**.

I yawned and moved to the next page this page was odd compared to the others, it had the original poem, but more was filled in afterward in blue ink

**How doth the little busy bee  
Improve each shining hour,  
And gather honey all the day  
From every opening flower!**  
**How skillfully she builds her cell!  
How neat she spreads the wax!  
And labours hard to store it well  
With the sweet food she makes.**

**_How doth the little crocodile  
Improve his shining tail,  
And pour the waters of the Nile  
On every golden scale!_**  
**_How cheerfully he seems to grin,  
How neatly spread his claws  
And welcome little fishes in  
With gently smiling jaws!_**

That was odd. It was the two different versions of the poem, the original and the Underland version. I flipped through until I found another page that was the same way.

**'You are old, father William,' the young man cried,  
'The few locks which are left you are grey;  
You are hale, father William, a hearty old man;  
Now tell me the reason, I pray.'**  
**'In the days of my youth,' father William replied,  
'I remember'd that youth would fly fast,  
And Abus'd not my health and my vigour at first,  
That I never might need them at last.'**  
**'You are old, father William,' the young man cried,  
'And pleasures with youth pass away.  
And yet you lament not the days that are gone;  
Now tell me the reason, I pray.'**  
**'In the days of my youth,' father William replied,  
'I remember'd that youth could not last;  
I thought of the future, whatever I did,  
That I never might grieve for the past.'**  
**'You are old, father William,' the young man cried,  
'And life must be hast'ning away;  
You are cheerful and love to converse upon death;  
Now tell me the reason, I pray.'**  
**'I am cheerful, young man,' father William replied,  
'Let the cause thy attention engage;  
In the days of my youth I remember's my God.  
And He hath not forgotten my age.**'

_**'You are old, Father William,' the young man said,  
'And your hair has become very white;  
And yet you incessantly stand on your head - Do you think, at your age, it is right?'**_  
_**'In my youth,' Father William replied to his son,  
'I feared it might injure the brain;  
But, now that I'm perfectly sure I have none,  
Why, I do it again and again.'**_  
_**'You are old,' said the youth, 'as I mentioned before,  
And have grown most uncommonly fat;  
Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door - Pray, what is the reason of that?'**_  
_**'In my youth,' said the sage, as he shook his grey locks,  
'I kept all my limbs very supple  
By the use of this ointment - one shilling the box - Allow me to sell you a couple?'**_  
_**'You are old,' said the youth, 'and your jaws are too weak  
For anything tougher than suet;  
Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak - Pray how did you manage to do it?'**_  
_**'In my youth,' said his father, 'I took to the law,  
And argued each case with my wife;  
And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw,  
Has lasted the rest of my life.'**_  
_**'You are old,' said the youth, 'one would hardly suppose  
That your eye was as steady as ever;  
Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose - What made you so awfully clever?'**_  
_**'I have answered three questions, and that is enough,  
' Said his father;  
'don't give yourself airs!  
Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?  
Be off, or I'll kick you down stairs!'**_

then I saw another poem which was different also.

**Speak gently! It is better far  
To rule by love than fear  
Speak gently; let no harsh word mar  
The good we may do here!**  
**Speak gently to the little child!  
Its love be sure to gain;  
Teach it in accents soft and mild;  
It may not long remain... **

_**Speak roughly to your little boy,  
And beat him when he sneezes:  
He only does it to annoy,  
Because he knows it teases.**_  
_**Chorus : Wow! wow! wow!**_  
_**I speak severely to my boy,  
I beat him when he sneezes;  
For he can thoroughly enjoy  
The pepper when he pleases!**_

The next part was what was most startling.

_**Speak roughly to your little Hatter,  
And beat him when he sneezes:  
I only do it for his pain,  
Because I know he freezes.**_  
_**Chorus : pow! pow! pow!**_  
_**I speak severely to him dear,  
I beat him when he sneezes;  
For he can nearly die for you  
I'll kill him when I pleases!**_

My suspicions hummed in my head and I flipped through quickly to the one page I hoped had the extra writing on it. it did, but not the writing that I had been hoping for.

**Twinkle, twinkle, little star,**  
**How I wonder what you are!**  
**Up above the world so high,**  
**Like a diamond in the sky.**

_**Twinkle, twinkle, little bat**_  
_**How I wonder what you're at!**_  
_**Up above the world you fly**_  
_**Like a tea-tray in the sky.**_

_**Best hurry back to Underland Alice. I have your little Hatter, and If you want to see your friend again, you better hurry and be on your way. Don't worry, I won't kill him unless you take too long. I wrote this a day before you arrived home, but you know how time works differently between our worlds. So hurry, hurry as fast as you can, come on back to Underland. If you don't your sure to find, a man in shreds who you left behind. **_  
_**Stayne,**_

"Oh no! Hatter!" I called to Clementine, but she was nowhere to be found. I raced up to the house. "Mother! Prepare a carriage! I have to go!" I yelled to her as I ran up to the house. Calling for Clemintine all the way.  
"Why such a hurry?" She asked, stopping me as I met her at the door.  
"A friend of mine is in trouble. I need to go help him."  
"Him?" Mother asked again "Is he a lord?" I rolled my eyes.  
"Yes." I lied, if I said that he was actually a mad milliner, she would undoubtedly deny my immediate fleeing. Where was Clem?  
"What happened to him? Why is he in trouble?" She pestered. I threw myself through the doorway, there was no time to look for my bunny now, she was probably off nibbling on rose hips or something.  
"I don't know." I lied again. "But I must make all haste." I ran up the stars, into my room, and packed a suitcase with a few comfortable clothes, and I raced back out the door into a waiting carriage. "Goodbye mother!" I called as The horses galloped away. "Take me to the Ascot manor. As fast as possible." I told the driver. I begged that I wouldn't be too late.

:) :) :) :) :) :)

**Well? I really hoe you liked all the poems in it. The next chapter will be in Tarrant's POV so... Yah, thnx!  
**

**TARRANT H.  
**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

*** Tarrant ***

I sat alone in the same old dusty jail cell as always. I knew that soon Stayne would come to torture me, mostly because he told me he would, but that was before he had left to go to Alice's world. He told me he was going to give her a message telling her how he had captured me. He had returned soon after with news that he had delivered the message and that she should get it by the next day in her world.

I had paced back and forth for the last three or four hours, until I was exhausted. Then I had sat back down on the dirty ground to await his dreadful return, and return he did. Every day he would come, shortly followed by severe pain. He would also come up everyday and give me bread and some water. "No tea or scones for you anymore." he told me. That had left me increasingly had been at least three weeks since then, and I was cursing our Time for being so different than her's.

After a long wait for my Alice to return, a young girl came up to the bars with something in her hands. Well, well, well, Stayne worked quickly. Had he already gained a staff?

"What do ye' want?" I growled at her from the shadows in the corner where I was seated. I could see her tremble in fright.

"Are y-y-you the H-H-Hatter?" I stepped out of the shadows so she could see me and I could see her.

"No. I'm jus' wearin' this 'at fer the fun of it. Aye. I'm ah' 'Atter. An who might ye' be?" now that I could see her better I saw she was wearing an all black uniform-like dress. She had rusty brown hair, and pale skin (but not like mine). Her eyes were brown as her hair and she had generally large ears.

"C-C-Clover." I thought for a moment, mouthing the name to myself. It didn't sound bad at all, almost Alicey, only it had more Cloverness to it.

"Wonderful. My name is Tarrant. I'll tell you my last name if you tell me yours." She slowly grinned.

"I already know your last name. You're Tarrant Hightopp. Royal Hatter to the White queen, and according to Master Stayne, a dangerous menace." I laughed.

"Really? And after he gave me such a hospitable welcome and comfortable room, I thought we were friends." It was her turn to laugh, and she played the part perfectly. I like this girl I thought.

"Your not a menace at all are you? You seem really nice. Why are you here?" The girl asked. In certain light, the girl looked like she could only be 10 or 12 years of age. I edged cautiously toward her and grinned a mischievous grin.

"I could ask you a question identically similar dear. I was Hatter-napped and taken here against my will. Your turn."

"I was also brought here against my will, my mum is the cook and I'm her assistant. Our village was attacked and we were all made prisoners or we were killed. Father is the messenger." I nodded slowly, understanding her predicament.

"My turn now... What kinds of things has that slurvish man been sayin' about me? What has he been sayn' to make you so frightened of me?"

"Well... Actually I knew you weren't bad, Despite what Master Stayne told me. But I also know that you are prone to anger tantrums sometimes, and I didn't know how you'd act upon seeing someone here."

"You were right about me having anger fits on occasion, but it rarely. All the same, that's not what I asked. My, it's great to talk to someone you know, I hardly ever get visitors who are as nice as you. Even before I was taken here, all my friends had left my tea party out of boredom. It's nice to meet such a wonderful young girl. None the less, you have violated the rules of the game so that means we skip your turn and I get to ask another-"

"Mr. Hatter!" Clover shouted, bringing me out of my rant.

"Thank you..." I squeaked. "I'm fine..." we were both quiet for a moment.

"...Master Stayne tells us that you are a traitorous madman who will stop at nothing to murder him and his followers. He insists we be cautious of you because you're 'completely delusional' and 'extremely dangerous'. I know he was lying, I've heard about your friendship with the champion of Underland, and how your family was killed by the Jabberwocky. You seek justice that's all, am I right?" I felt my eye twitch in anger, but I held back my emotions.

"I'm sure you must be, because if you weren't right, you'd be left. And I don't think that's what you are so it must be the latter, although I don't commonly consider people to be directions." We both laughed.

"May we continue our discussions later Mr. Hatter? I have many things to attend to and you should probably eat to get your strength up." I was very depressed to have my new friend leave me like countless others had, but I agreed.

"You will return tomorrow correct?" I asked-no, begged-the girl.

"Of course." She grinned, and I returned it.

"Well then, until tomorrow." Then, as she began to head for the stairway, I remembered something. "And Clover? Would you mind tellin' some of your friends that I'm not really a traitorous murder?" She stopped and smiled.

"I would be delighted." And with that, my new friend left, leaving me alone in the dark damp place once again. I left my food where it was, I had no desire to eat at the time, all I wanted to do was sit in my corner until Clover came back, or until I awoke from this horrible nightmare.

:) :) :) :) :) :)

**Sorry fort the short chapter but I wanted to get this posted so you could all know that Hatter is alive and making a new friend. Clover is an important character too so don't underestimate her. She'll help greatly in the process of freeing our poor Hatter. Let me know what you think OK? Luv u all!**

**TARRANT H.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alice**

I ran through the gardens as fast as my feet would carry me. My suitcase was flailing through the air as I galloped full speed. I'm coming Hatter. I'll save you! I finally caught sight of the gnarled tree that held the portal to Underland underneath it. Without hesitation, I tossed my suitcase into the blackness of the rabbit hole. I faltered as I leapt forward at the hole and before I tumbled it I drew back and caught myself. Alice! You have to do it if you want to go back! If you want to save your friend! If you want to go home. Home? Yes, I suppose it is home. With that thought, I lept.

The fall was the same as last time, all the furniture and books lined the walls. I was calmer this time though, and I managed to judge exactly when I was to brake through the bottom, and I was happy to remember what to do in the room full of doors. I followed all the steps I had taken before, but skipping the part where I forgot the key on the table, and replaced it by growing back to my normals size once I was through the door.

Once I was my right-proper-Alicey size, as Hatter would call it, I rushed over to the same mushroom that I had last seen Absolem on. On the way, I was confronted with a cloud of blue smoke that clearly showed I was on the right track.

"Aboslem! Absolem where are you?" I called.

"What do you want stupid girl?" an airy voice replied. I ran toward the voice and found him relaxing on a mushroom, still smoking.

"Absolem, I need to see the oraculum." Without listening for permission, I reached for the scroll and unrolled it to the day that I guessed was today, because it showed me holding the same scroll the same way I was now.

"What are you searching for?" I heard another voice ask. I turned to see a giant, toothy grin.

"Chesh!" I grinned back as the rest of him appeared. "Good to see you again." I turned back to the scroll.

"You too luv. What's the big investigation all about?" I looked at him startled.

"You mean you don't even know?" He continued to look at me with curiosity.

"I honestly don't understand Alice." I rolled my eyes.

"Show me Hatter." I told the Oraculum and slowly watched the ink form a new shape. Chesh watched over my shoulder as the background went from the mushroom garden, to a dirty prison, and the characters in the image turned from Chesh and myself, to a diseased and beaten form of a man in a hat. Even though it was a drawing, we could still clearly see that he had frizzy hair that was matted with blood and that his clothes hung loosely on his thin form that was clearly malnourished.

"Hatter." I sobbed in a whisper. It was true. Hatter was locked away somewhere, being tortured, and I had been off in a foreign country, gaining wealth.

"This doesn't make sense." Cheshure interrupted my thoughts. "Last time I checked, he was still at the tea party table sulking over-... Ummm... I'm going to go double check." He disappeared but all I could do was stare at the parchment that showed my dear friend. Tears flowed freely down my cheeks. I looked at the next picture, but it showed a similar image. I continued to look down through time at the day before, and a few weeks before. Some pictures showed Stayne cornering him and flinging his fist in slow-motion, but the image cycle always started over before it got to the part when he actually hit his prisoner.

I eventually came to an image of Hatter being held captive by Stayne as he rode proudly upon his horse, looking like he had just won a grand prize or gotten the best game of all his friends during hunting season. The day before that Hatter had been sitting alone at the tea table, looking broken and deeply buried in a depression. My poor friend.

I continued to backtrack. It was taking Cheshure a long time. I eventually got bored of looking at the same picture for so many days, I apparently hadn't been missing much in Hatters life, because he did the same thing everyday. I skipped back through to the Frabtious day, and watched myself disappear. I was about to go back to today when I saw something.

I watched closely as I disappeared and I saw a single tear roll down Hatter's cheek. I went to the day after and saw Him sprawled out on a bed with his face buried in a pillow. His shoulders shaking, which showed he was either laughing hysterically, or crying his eyes out. I had a horrible feeling that it was the second. Each day after, I saw similar situations, and even one where he was curled up in a ball, sitting on a staircase, with the White Queen trying desperately to comfort him, as he sobbed into his hands. This was my fault. I had left, and in the meanwhile, I had selfishly stomped all over my only friend who really understood me, the only friend that would give himself up to the red knights for me.

"Alice!" Cheshur's voice shouted, I turned to look at him. "Quickly Alice, come with me." he directed me to a path, and disappeared, arriving far away on the same path. "Hurry!" He called. I began to run and I continued until Cheshure stopped disappearing and I caught up to him. We were in the middle of the woods and I didn't really understand what we were doing here. "Look down." Chesh gestured. I did and saw hoof prints. We followed them through the brush and eventually we came to a small, muddy clearing. There was a deep skid mark in the mud and a single hatpin lay about a foot away. I lifted to my eyes slowly. That's when I realized I still had the oraculum.  
I handed it to cheshure and continued to inspect the hat pin. I recognized it as one of the many things that usually adorned Hatter large top hat. I looked closely at the side and saw s small pair of initials engraved.  
"T.H." I read aloud.  
"Tarrant Hightopp." Cheshure added. That was Hatter's real name  
"Tarrant." I tried it and it felt so unnatural, but yet so good. "Hightopp." I said after, then an odd thought came to my mind. Alice Hightopp. That sounded good. Wait! What was I thinking? What was wrong with me?  
"Alice," Chesh spoke. He was looking at the oraculum. "I am going to go to the red castle, I believe that's where he is because I've seen this jail cell before. Stay here just in case... If anything happens, drink this potion, it'll take you to the white queen." He handed me a vile of white potion and disappeared. I inspected the clearing for more clues, not that there was much to look for, I knew Hatter was being imprisoned somewhere by Stayne, and I knew he was hurt. Was there much else to learn other than how to get him out? I paced around, and let myself fall into the depths of my inner madness. Who's fault was this? Was it mine? I fell to my knees on a dry spot and wrapped my arms around myself to keep my body from falling apart. I spoke to the emptiness that surrounded me.  
"Oh Hatter, Please be alright."

**0.0**  
** O**

**I am so sorry that it took so long for me to update this. I am getting horrendous at that. Not that the end of the year is upon me, I have so many assighnments compared to what I have during the rest of the year.  
**

**anyways, I want to put this advertisement out there that I am also working on a songfic for you AiW fans out there that like "hatter after Alice leaves" fictions. It's Breakeven by The Script. But back to my advertisement, I am offering to make any AiW songfic for someone if they just send me a song sugesstion in a review, I would be honord to see what I can do with it. I am not going to do any explicit songs that talk about.. well I'm just not gonna go there. (You should know what's inappropriate for a 15 year old audience, use those songs).**

**ThAnK yOu FoR rEaDiNg!1!1**

**Happy Glauphic (Gla-uh-fic*) day! (The day that Alice returns to Underland for the third time) (I did make that up, It's totally mine!)  
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**TARRANT HiTOPP  
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	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Tarrant**

It seemed like weeks would pass between each of Clover's visits. She told me over and over that she was coming back exactly the same time everyday no matter how many times I scolded her for being late. This day, I was lying in my cell, in the horrid aftermath of Stayne's impatience. He was growing increasingly brutal in his anger that Alice hadn't arrived in Underland yet.

"She's not coming back!" I would argue with him.

"Oh yes she will! She'll return and attempt to save you, and when she does, I'll have her trapped! Just you watch Madman! She'll come!" He would scream. I would shake my head and tell him how ignorant he was, but inside, I knew he was right. She would come, and she would be trapped in his clutches. I knew Alice, she couldn't stand not coming and trying to rescue Underland or it's citizens. She may be able to slay a Jabberwocky, but she wasn't the one who had battled Stayne that day.

Clover came bounding up the stairs with her tray of bread and water, that I always insisted on splitting in half with her, even though she had access to the kitchens whenever she wished.

"Good evening Mr. Hatter. How are you feel-" She took one look at me and stopped in her tracks. "Mr Hatter? Oh what has Master Stayne done to you? You poor thing! Come closer. I'll try to bandage you up." I sighed heavily, and dragged myself closer to her. She went over to my coat that Stayne had taken from me, along with my hat and my vest. I had only been able to keep my pants, underwear, shoes, socks, and shirt. He had taken all my materials away from me.  
She reached into my pocket and pulled out a swath of blue cloth. She ran back to my side and was about to rip it in order to better bind my wounds when I shouted at her angrily.

"NO! Put that back! Put it back now! That is not to be used! Never use that!" She froze in fright and gently put the piece aside.

"Why?" She whimpered helplessly. I deflated sadly as the memory returned to my mind and I realized how mean I had just been to my friend.

"It-.. It's part of Alice's dress. It's very special to me. Please just-.. Please use something else. Please.." I began to sob as I wrapped my arms around my torso.

"I understand." She nodded. "Do you want me to put it back or do you want it once we clean you up?" I was surprised at her honesty and understanding.

"Umm.. Y-Yes please." She giggled and put her hands on her hips.

"That doesn't answer my question at all. You want it afterward?" I was about to say yes, but then I though better of it.

"Better not. If something happened to it, I'd feel terrible. It's all I really have of her. Could you put it back in the pocket?" She nodded and folded it neatly, then slipped it gently back into the pocket she had taken it out of. She searched another pocket and pulled out a different piece. She held it up to me, and I nodded in approval. After she spent a long while trying to wrap my shoulder in the horrible light, she growled in frustration and rocked back on he knees onto her bottom.

"I can't just bind these up without cleaning them first. And this one scratch on your shoulder is frustrating me so. I'm going to get my mother to come up and help you." She stood to leave and for some reason, I went into panic.

"No! Wait! Don't-" I reached toward her, but just as I did, Cheshur appeared in a frenzied wisp of smoke. "Oh look who it is!" I growled impatiantly "The one person who I could have used in my company throughout the last FIVE WEEKS!" I snarled at him. My eyes turned a dangerous shade of orange.

"Mr. Hatter Calm down!" Clover shouted, I shook my head and the anger began to clear. "Is the Cheshire Cat here to help you get out?" She realized excitedly. Poor girl, she didn't know that Chesh only helped people if he benefited. I really didn't have much of a chance of earning his help. Last time I had been stuck in this horrid place I'd promised to make him his own hat, but I'd failed to fulfill it with my distraction of Alice not staying with me.

"Why has Stayne done this to you?" Chesh asked, "I know he hates you, but why all this this?" I ignored his question and asked one of my own.

"How did you find me? Does the queen know about my capture?" Chesh shook his head.

"The only ones who know are You, Time, Stayne of corse, This little flower,-" He listed, gesturing to Clover. "Alice and myself." Panic struck me again as I remembered Stayne's twisted Check list.

"Alice knows I'm here?" I gasped. Clover jumped up with excitement.

"Caloo Coolay! Alice will save Mr. Hatter today!" She sang.

"Indeed. It is wonderful!" Chesh agreed growing excited that Alice was once again about to do something great.

"NO! Not wonderful! It's a trap! Don't you see? Stayne is using me as bait to lure Alice into his Castle, where he plans to capture her in order to bring Mirana to her knees! He want's to rule Underland, and then he wants to take over Alice's world! We can't let that happen!" I shouted. The two stared at me in shock. I had stood during this, and I lowered myself back down when my leg began to hurt.

"So it's a trap?" Clover asked sadly. I nodded and hugged myself tightly. Chesh became mist and then, that mist encircled me a few times. After that, He appeared again.

"Your cuts are purified." he offered kindly. "I'll go tell Alice not to race here and try to rescue you. Do you want me to do anything else?" I shook my head as Clover quickly swooped in to bandage my arm and my leg.

"Thank you Chesh. All you need to do is-"

"Can you bandage his shoulder? I can't do it myself." Clover interrupted. Chesh smiled his signature smile and pulled a green silk out of thin air, and began to wrap the scratch.

"Thank you again Chesh." I grinned. "Just get Alice to the White Queen's castle and keep her there. Tell Mirana what's going on, and don't have her come either. Stayne want's to marry her and become King, so keep them both away." He grinned a bit more and then disappeared. I looked at Clover and smiled lightly.

"Who's going to save you then Mr. Hatter?" I looked at her with solem blue eyes that told her more than she needed to know. I shook my head slowly and stood. I walked over to the back of my cell and sat there. For the first time sense I'd met Clover, I wanted her and the rest of the world, to just go away and let me die already.

**Alice**

I had been sitting in the clearing for one minute before the realization of what had happened finally sank in. I began to cry, and then my crying turned into sobbing, which turned into bawling. It had seemed like hours before Chesh finally returned. I stood eagerly when I saw him.

"Well?" I asked nervously before he got the chance to say anything. I wiped my tears away with the back of my hand quickly, but more still spilled out and down my cheeks.

"He's in the red queen's castle, and he's alive. He has a few cuts and bruises but other than that, he's okay. He has an accomplice there to help him, a young girl named Clover." I let out a sigh of relief, but it instantly became a deep breath of determination.

"Come on then, let's go get him out." I began to march in the direction that I thought was the way to Salas n Grum. Chesh evaporated, and then appeared again in front of me.

"Wrong way." He grinned. I blushed slightly, and then turned around. I didn't catch the worried expression on his face.  
Chesh accompanied me all the way, until I broke through some brush and noticed the White castle, not the red one, strait ahead. I turned on the cat angrily.

"What is this? You led me the wrong way! You made me go away from Hatter! Why would you do that Chesh? You know how much Hatter means to me!" He looked about as ashamed as a cat could, and he wrung his paws nervously.

"Alice, I shall explain myself once we are in the safety of the castle, but now we must hurry." I rolled my eyes and ran after the disappearing better be worth the extra time Hatter has to spend in prison._ Oh Tarrant please be okay. Please forgive me_.

When we had arrived in the thrown room, Mirana had seemed so joyful to have me back, she completely overlooked the forlorn look on my face. When she finally noticed, I explained to her all that had happened. Her face fell also.

"Oh my poor Tarrant. The dear has gotten himself in trouble again. He always seems to get the worst of life. The poor, poor thing. You are correct Alice. We must rescue him at once." Chesh appeared again.

"Unfortunately, we can't do that." His frown was just as big if not bigger than his normal grin. _"What is wrong with this cat today?"_ I thought.

"We Have to! Hatter has risked his life for me so many times, and now I'm going to pay him back." I shouted, growing impatient.

"Chesh. Please tell us why it is we can't send out a rescue party. I'm sure Alice could bring Stayne down." The queen crooned. He drew back reluctantly and hesitantly answered.

"Hatter doesn't want to be rescued." He mumbled, but it was audible.

"What? Hatter doesn't want to-... Why the hell not?" I screamed.

"It's a trap!" He snapped back, being the exact opposite of his normal, calm self. "Stayne wants you to come rescue Tarrant so that you'll be captured also. He wants to capture you and bring Mirana to her knees. He's bait, and he doesn't want you to fall for it, so he told me to keep you away. Even if it means he is excluded from the revolution...Permanently." He disappeared, and reappeared on Mirana's shoulder. "The revolution will have to get a new leader your majesty. And you might want to find a new royal hatter." Mirana nodded solemnly.

"Perhaps Charlie would be able to be the revolution's leader. It is a shame though, the Hightopp clan was always the best at making hats. I'll send Lord Gavin to go up to the mountain and see if he can find another clan that-"

"Why are you speaking like Tarrant doesn't even matter to you? You know as well as I do, if not more, of all the things he's done for this kingdom! He's not dead yet, and he's not going to die!" Mirana nodded slowly.

"You are correct Alice. Before we jump to conclusions that Tarrant won't survive, let us give him a chance. He is full of surprises and he has escaped from Stayne before. Let us send a messenger to ask for his realize." She called for a messenger and told him his task he bowed respectively, and then left. Mirana showed me to my room and made me feel quite comfortable. Once I was left alone, I sat on my bed and cried even more.

_"Oh Tarrant. I am so sorry I can not rescue you! This is so unfair! I will not let you die Tarrant. I refuse to let you die."_

**;(****  
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**Once again I apologize for taking so long to update. The last quarter of the school year is so packed with assignments and projects I'm getting ****soooooo paranoid. **

**NOBODY has given me any songs to write a song-fic about! Do you even read the comments at the end?  
**

Tarrant: "I don't think anyone reads this stuff."

Alice: "Me neither :("

Tarrant: "That's really too bad, because there's so many songs that I don't know about. that would make great songfics. Like Cinderella by the cheetahgirls, it's an OK song, but it's soooooo uncanny. I'ts scary how similar Alice's life is to that song.


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